What the heck did I get myself into? Yup, I am back in the classroom, however there is a twist, I have a fulltime job and other adult responsibilities which I didn’t have in my college days. While it has been challenging to integrate coursework into my daily routine, I am deriving much value from the assignments. It is definitely time to implement OATS starting today. This in terminology of The Greatest Salesman is a great habit to implement. It is a step toward growing an accumulative consciousness. For a very great while, my life has revolved around that which catches my attention in the moment rather than looking long term, as in the difference between the onion and the olive tree.

Encouraging myself to dream of the possibilities for an expansive, opulent life is something new to me. The question, “If money were not an issue, what would I do, be, have?” is now a part of my conscious thoughts. Time to speculate, ponder, explore, wonder about all the possibilities, knowing there really is no limit except what is within my own mind and thought processes. I know my DMP will morph probably more than once or twice during the coming months as I open my mind to what is possible instead of finding fault or reason why something is impossible.

I’m buckled up and ready for the wild ride of discovery and adventure awaiting me.

This is where I went sideways as Mark J says or as I would call it, going off into the weeds. Yup, my DMP was in great shape with short term goals. However, I encountered a problem in that several time-frames for completion were unrealistic. So, I continued my addiction to the Abraham Hicks material on Youtube rather than assessing and adjusting the time-frames in my DMP. Yup, this is some of my classic behavior right from my internal blueprint. Next step is to continue off course until I resort to throwing in the towel just to begin again in the fall.

Through some great coaching from my guides, I’m commited to getting back on course and completing this session. Take that, Subby!

At this point in MKMMA, my DMP is in great shape though all my desires are what I consider short term goals. This is due to two factors. First is the word limit, and second is I’m not sure beyond that. I’ve been struggling with what my life’s purpose or rather heart’s desire(s) are at this point. Some unknown desire is calling to me, something much bigger than myself and my personal goals, needs, wants. It is something by which I will make a difference in this world. I’m not driven to leave a legacy. Rather it would be something whereby I am totally in service to my fellow beings.

Tonight I was listening to a YouTube recording from an Abraham workshop. Okay, I’ve diverged from this course work a lot the past couple of days, listening to many Abraham Hicks recordings. Anyway, in this particular one, Abraham asked the gentleman who’d been invited to the hot seat to tell Abraham what is his life’s path. Before the guy could muster an actual answer, Abraham blurted out, “Succeeding on all levels on all subjects that are important to me as I move through life.” When I heard this, I backed up the recording and wrote it down. This is my Eureka moment.

What I realized from Abraham’s statement as well as from what I’ve heard from Mark, Davene, Trish and others are that my desires are uniquely mine. While my DMP currently has short term desires incorporated within it, my DMP is malleable. When my current desires have manifested, then I am free to modify or re-write my DMP with new desires. Maybe even revise it before the current desires manifest, as the amorphous cloud of my unknown desire takes on a shape, it can be incorporated into my DMP. Unlike the Ten Commandments, my DMP is not chiseled into stone!

Oh, what a relief! I’ll move forward with what I have now, keeping an open mind toward new updates.

Throughout this course “being in service” is heard time and again from Mark. I was reminded of an essay by Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen titled “In the Service of Life.” I was introduced to this essay when I became a lead volunteer in my spiritual community. It was included with other materials pertaining to my position and responsibilities.

In this essay Dr. Remen compares and contrasts serving, helping and fixing. When in service, there is a wholeness in the act. She refers to service as having an experience of mystery, surrender and awe. Her point of view is that fixing and helping bring our egos into the equation, while service comes from the soul.

In this essay I see also how service ties into our “no opinion” homework and from there to our “Mental Diet” exercise. It is an act for which there is no reciprocity sought. It is also balanced, in other words, the helper or fixer tends to be in a position of power while the server is an equal to the served.

Dr. Remen sees service as involving our whole selves, including our souls. She writes, “Our service serves us as well as others. That which uses us strengthens us. Over time, fixing and helping are draining, depleting. Over time we burn out. Service is renewing. When we serve, our work itself will sustain us.”

Déjà vu Week… Or, the same learning opportunities keep presenting themselves until we learn and grow from them!

This course and life are fascinating! Several years ago a spiritual counselor I was working with assigned the “I Love You, my name!” exercise for me to do two to three times daily, standing in front of a mirror. I remembered it for a while and gradually relegated the exercise to my long term memory. Now, coupled with reading “The Guy in the Glass” taped to my mirror and “I LOVE YOU…” written on that sheet, I am reminded every time I am in the bathroom! I expect this will become a longer term habit.

Oh, I’ve also written “I Can Be What I Will to Be” and “Do It Now” on the same paper! Great way to remind myself!

During the webby, when it was mentioned about living a life by default, I was reminded that I applied this phrase to my life during an exercise I participated in as part of the first year of spiritual counselor training several years ago. At that time I realized I often didn’t make choices, which becomes a choice by default rather than conscious decision making. This I saw resulted in not changing my life, not living fully and authentically. How has that worked for me you ask? Well, here I am in MKMMA committed to change and discovery. In other words I have not been satisfied with my life. I am all in, doing my best with MKMMA.

The magnifying glass and compass analogies are very appropriate this week. The magnifying glass directs me to maintain focus on my desires; focus and consistent effort to create the life of my dreams. Whenever I discover myself meandering (scattering) in my efforts through distraction, I remember the magnifying glass, which helps me return to focusing on what is important to me.

The compass metaphor for my Heart’s Desire(s) is great, except I’m not sure what they are at this time. Sure, my DMP is crafted with goals and dreams for the next steps in my life, but I am discovering a yearning for something greater, something beyond my life. While I don’t have an overwhelming desire to create a legacy of some sort, I do have a desire to make an impact in this world. I’m just unsure what it is yet. Stay tuned…

Interesting week, this no opinions or no judgments exercise! I have been consciously minding my own judgments for a while before this class, or so I thought. Well, two areas leaped out at me. First, I judge myself A LOT! All that negative self talk which I didn’t think I was doing. Oh, was I wrong. Many times it is just the feeling of judging or criticizing, no words are needed to have the same effect.

My second discovery was driving. I have not been one to carry on about other drivers with great emotion and perhaps accompanying physical gestures for a long while now. However, I noticed or was made aware, thank you subby, how I do comment or remark on how others drive, particularly those that cut in far too close, or just had to zoom around me just to make a quick exit. Particularly offensive is the Colorado lack of working turn signals for indicating one’s intention. Seems very few vehicles have operational turn signals in this state! Oops, was that a judgment or merely an observation? Interesting how by changing a word the thought changes, yet what is important are the underlying motivation and or emotion behind the thought or spoken statement.

Oh, now about that DMP of mine… It is now is fine form. Interesting how reading it aloud, with emotion, brings up other emotions. As I read it aloud, rarely do I make it all the way through without even a slight pause as emotions come up. I know I haven’t allowed myself to dream, or known how to let myself loose to dream for a long time. I interpret the welling of emotion as a sign of my realizing the possibilities which lie ahead. That I am the creator of my new, improved life expression. I do choose differently for a different outcome. Reading silently, I do not experience these same sensations and thoughts. There is power in speaking aloud one’s desires, dreams and intentions!

The world without is a reflection of the world within. – Haanel Week 1, Paragraph 8

Okay, we are in week four, why am I reaching back to week one? Well, I’ve been mulling this sentence over since week one, looking for a correlation between my outer world and my inner world. My purpose is to learn what to change in my inner world to create a more harmonious and affluent outer world.

This week I re-read the previous weeks’ reading assignments. From week one, paragraph 17, I was struck by this sentence, “All loss is the result of a scattering consciousness.” Another way of saying this is one lacks focus, or purpose or direction. Boy, this smacked me upside the head with a spiritual 2×4! This is what our DMPs are all about – clarity, focus, specifics and dates for completion. This smacks of goals in my traditional thinking brain, something I’ve avoided or beat around the bush for decades. I can see from my outer world exactly how that hasn’t worked for me.

As a result of this revelation, I am focusing laser-like on refining my DMP, taking that scary step of committing to completion dates. Now though, I understand the dates are for more than my conscious brain. It is to give additional focus to my subconscious mind. My subconscious mind and the Infinite mind are my ally now. My conscious mind is not solely responsible for bringing forth my desires, I have a partner with limitless powers assisting in my creative endeavors.

The “Do It Now” mantra and “I promise to … I always keep my promises” phrases tie into week four paragraph twelve. This speaks of focus and determination, following through on my decisions and commitments. This paragraph refers to habit, which is what scroll one in “The Greatest Salesman” drives home. That is having good habits which compel me to follow through.

Paragraph twenty-one of week four lined up with my thinking. It talks about more and greater activity attracting more attention from the Infinite Mind. I have noticed when I concentrate on the next thing, whatever it is, and dwell not on whatever concerns I may have in the moment, magic happens. Keep on keeping on!